Indigenous church planting is just as much a way of life for these believers as is agriculture

I’ve spent my last two days in Burundi personally visiting Heaven’s Family beneficiaries, which include widows, former drug addicts, handicapped Christians and Christian leaders. It has been two days of joy for me. I’ve traveled to two fairly-far away provinces, Rugumbo and Kayanza. The former is generally flat and the latter is mountainous. In both places I visited agricultural projects where some very effective evangelists and indigenous church-planting servants have rented or purchased land via group loans from our Micro-Loan Fund. They are profiting with every harvest of potatoes, tomatoes and corn, enabling them to not only repay their loans, but meet their daily needs and support their ministries. Still, they are very poor. They live in mud-brick houses with dirt floors and without electricity or running water. Many walk miles every day or so to get drinkable water. They live in what is by some measurements, one of the world’s poorest countries.

To reach the folks in the photo above, we journeyed deep into Kayanza Province and parked alongside the road. Then I had to hike straight down (perhaps a slight exaggeration) on a slippery path for about a mile, giving me just a slight glimpse of what life is like for our indigenous church-planting missionaries.

You would never know it by looking at them, but all those in the photo not only lead a house church which they personally started, but each also is responsible for at least 10 other house church leaders—leaders whom they have won to the Lord and are still discipling. They are preaching the gospel in remote villages where no one has ever preached the gospel. Their steadfast, indigenous church-planting efforts are yielding an abundance of fruit. The older lady on the left for example, Monique Cishahayo, is a widow who often gets up before dawn to walk for miles to preach all day in far away villages that are only reachable by footpath.

Monique and a few others accompanied me as I hiked out of their valley, and I had to stop at least 4 times to catch my breath and let my heart stop racing. She and the others, not even sweating, politely waited for me to recover before continuing our upward trek to where we parked our vehicle (I was carrying about 20 pounds of camera gear, by the way).

Indigenous Church Planting Brings in Bountiful Harvest

The harvest is great in Kayanza Province. There are 30 other “district leaders” there besides the 5 in the photo. Each one has planted at least 10 house churches in the past 2 years. That is at least 350 churches. Our primary contact in Burundi, Bienvenu Bizimana, estimates that since he was given The Disiciple-Making Minister by an American missionary and mutual friend named Greg a little over 2 years ago, 3,000 house churches have been planted in 5 provinces in Burundi through the network he leads. They are now on their ninth generation of disciples. Just about all 3,000 of the leaders of those churches have a copy of the Kirundi translation of The Disciple-Making Minister, although many are illiterate and need someone to read it to them. Even if Bienvenu has miscalculated by 50%, that would still be 1,500 house churches planted in 2 years.

I stayed healthy during my entire time in Burundi, even eating some salads on several evenings (a no-no for missionaries). But Brussels Airlines apparently poisoned me on my flight from Burundi to Belgium. I’m almost home in Pittsburgh as I write, having had no desire for any food since Belgium, and just sipping on ginger ale and hot tea. It will be good to get home. Thanks for joining me on this journey. — David

From witchcraft to Christ, Procaire Bucumi is enjoying true life in Christ. Pictured here with her sixth child, Dusenge Pacifique

Procaire Bucumi lives in Kayanza Province of Burundi in the agricultural village of Musave. She was married to a witchcraft doctor, and legally, she still is, although they are now separated. Procaire converted from witchcraft to Christ a little over a year ago through a woman of God who continues to disciple her. I spent time with her today to listen to her story.

Procaire’s husband was not pleased with her new life—a total turnaround from witchcraft to Christ—especially when she told him that God does not want him to make his living practicing witchcraft. He argued that if he stopped his profession of his witchcraft, they would all starve for lack of an income. She countered that if he repented, God would bless them and take care of their needs somehow. He ultimately accused her of driving his customers away, and he angrily drove her and their six children, ages 1 to 14, out of their home, taunting her by saying, “Let’s see if your God will take care of you now!” Her husband has since provided her and their children with no support and has a woman living with him. He still practices witchcraft.

A neighbor, a single mother with three children, was the only one who would open her home to shelter Procaire and her children. But there were two problems. That neighbor’s house consists of only two small rooms, so it is a tight fit for two adults and nine children. Moreover, the woman who opened up her home makes her living as a prostitute, which often reduces the living quarters to just one room for ten people. Worse, Procaire has found herself being accosted by drunken men who frequent the house. The woman with whom she lives has tried to pressure her to earn some much-needed money by also selling her body. However, coming from withchcraft to Christ, Procaire knows that she is a new creation in Christ and that her body is His temple.

Procaire is also a disciple of Jesus Christ (as are all true believers). In the last year, she has led six others to Christ, and together, they are going door-to-door spreading the gospel in their village of 3,000 people. Each of Procaire’s disciples have led three to five others to the Lord, and they all regularly meet to pray, admonish and encourage one another.

Procaire told me that one reason that people have rejected her and her message is because they think she is a prostitute, as she lives in a prostitute’s house. She also told me that her three oldest children, all of school age, have had to drop out of school for lack of school fees. And they simply don’t have enough food to eat.

I had the feeling that Procaire was one of the reasons I’m here in Burundi, and since her husband taunted her by saying, “Let’s see if your God will take care of you now!” I thought we ought to help him see what Procaire’s God would do. So I gave her some HF funds to meet her immediate food needs and get her three children back in school. I also decided that I would yield to the long-standing request of the director of Heaven’s Family’s Widows Fund (my wife, Becky), and change the name of that fund to the Widows and Abandoned Mothers Fund. With that, I was able to promise Procaire $400 so she can pay six month’s rent on a house of her own and purchase some domestic necessities. On top of that, through our just-established Burundi Widows Micro-Bank, I was also able to offer her a $400 loan to start a small shop in order to support herself and her children.

Procaire told me that she knows that as she seeks first God’s kingdom, He will supply all that she needs. Amen.

The Lord protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow; but He thwarts the way of the wicked (Psa. 146:9).

Dieudonne and Diana Kayobera in front of their cell phone recharging kiosk

I spent part of my first full day in Burundi visiting micro-loan beneficiaries, two of whom are Dieudonne and Diana Kayobera, followers of Jesus. I met Dieudonne the last time I was in Burundi, and he then had a thriving potato business that he started with his first loan from our Burundi micro-bank. The local government, however, later shut his business down, because he, along with a scores of others, was selling in an unapproved market place. Dieudonne went crying to his pastor. His potato business had been doing so well, and the good location had been a major factor. His pastor encouraged him to pray and ask the Lord for wisdom.

And that is what Dieudonne did. Before long he believed the Lord gave him an inspired idea. He would open a kiosk where people who have no electricity could recharge their cell phones (which seem to be owned by everyone in Africa). From that kiosk, he would also offer phone call service and sell mobile phones and accessories.

With his remaining profits from his defunct potato business and a second loan of $400, Dieudonne gathered all he needed and set up shop along a very busy road in the capital city of Bujumbura. And the end of the story is that the phone business is better than the potato business. Dieudonne and his wife Diana often realize daily sales of $40, a major portion of which is profit. They feel rich, and use a good part of their profits to “help the poor.”

I so enjoy visiting joyful and prospering entrepreneurs like Dieudonne and Diana. And I’m always amazed how a tiny loan can make such a big difference in the lives of the poor. There are at least twenty other borrowers here in Burundi, and I wish I was going to have time to visit them all. But I won’t. Tomorrow we begin our three-day pastors’ conference.

Thanks for your prayers,

David

Inside their kiosk. To the left of Dieudonne and Diana are about thirty cell phones that are all being simultaneously recharged.

Deoderat, his wife, and one of their four children making a food called “chackle” for their restaurant

In the Cibitoke Commune in Bujumbura, Burundi, a man by the name of Deodorat Minani lives with his wife and four children. Deodorat is a Christian and works as a teacher in the public school system, earning less than two dollars a day. He has been struggling to provide for his family.

With a $300 micro-loan from Heaven’s Family, however, Deodorat and his wife Francoise have been able to start a small business selling food at the local market. Francoise runs the business in the morning while Deodorat is teaching, then they work their business together in the afternoons. Some of their best customers are other vendors who also sell in the market but who do not have time to go home for meals.

Our micro-banker reported, “Now because of his business earnings, brother Deodorat is able to pay his rent, cover his family expenses, and invest some money in the Kingdom to the Glory of God!”

Because of obedient people like you who generously give to Heaven’s Family’s Micro-Loan Fund, Deodorat is able to support his family and give generously to God’s work in Africa. His offerings are, no doubt, a very pleasing aroma to the Lord.

David

Director, Micro-Loan Fund

Whenever we take photos of Heaven’s Family beneficiaries in public places, we instantly draw a crowd of curious people who want to see the "muzungus" up close. That happened this morning once again, so I decided to surprise the surrounding crowd by rapidly shooting many of them with my camera. I got this guy at point-blank range!

This morning we rose before dawn for a quick visit to another beneficiary of Heaven’s Family’s Micro-Loan Fund. Chantal Maluba is a widow whose extended family kicked her out of the family home because she refused to marry a non-Christian man. She trusted God. He has not failed her.

With a $300 loan, Chantal started two small businesses. In the mornings she cooks corn porridge which she sells as breakfast to workers, and the rest of the day she sells beans and flour. (She also leads a house church and is making disciples.) From her business, Chantal is able to support herself and send her only daughter to school.

I’m loving these micro-loans. They are a huge blessing to everyone who has received one. And once they are repaid, others are blessed. Thanks to all who have given to the Micro-Loan Fund.

Chantal Maluba

We landed in Kigali, Rwanda, mid-morning, to be met by two friends, Rwandan pastor Justin Nkundabagenzi, and Congolese church-planter Simeon Muhunga. I gave pastor Justin sixteen Sawyer water filters on behalf of Chuck King (Director of our Safe Water Fund), and Justin drove all of us to the bus station in Kigali.

I had heard that Kigali had experienced an amazing renewal since the end of Rwanda’s genocidal civil war, but I was amazed to see it for myself. It is, by far and away, the nicest African city I’ve ever visited. Most folks here attribute it to good governance, something which is unfortunately in short supply in Africa. I asked pastor Justin if he was Hutu or Tutsi (who were slaughtering each other a few years ago), and he laughed and replied, "I am a Rwandan." He went on to explain that it is now against the law in Rwanda to discuss the tribe from which you originate.

We said goodbye to Justin at the bus station, and Simeon paid our five-dollar tickets for the three-hour ride to the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Our journey took us up and over a beautiful mountain range where the famous gorillas live, and past some volcanos as well. I had a possibly providential conversation with a young pastor along the way.

When we crossed the border from Rwanda into the DR Congo, the contrast was stark. It was like crossing into a war zone. Most Westerners don’t realize that there have been two major wars here in recent years. The Rwandan Genocide of 1994 fueled the First and Second Congo Wars. The second war, which began in 1998, involved seven foreign armies, and it directly or indirectly resulted in the deaths of 5.4 million people. That makes it the world’s deadliest conflict since World War II. How many people outside of Africa know that? (Yet we know when Brad Pitt sneezes.)

Goma, the border town where we now are, has become the home to thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs), many of whom are traumatized widows and orphans. Beyond that, Goma, which sits on the shores of the beautiful lake Kivu, also sits near the base of the active Nyiragongo Volcano, which erupted in 2002. It sent streams of lava through Goma that flowed at 40 miles per hour, destroying 40% of the city, leaving 120,000 people homeless, and extending the Lake Kivu shoreline 500 feet into the lake, so that shorefront properties were no longer on the shorefront.

The evidence of the war and the 2002 eruption are very evident when you drive through Goma. We hope to bear some fruit here over the next couple of days on your behalf.

After a dinner gathering at Simeon’s house where we met a number of fine men and women of God, we checked into our hotel and rejoiced that it had hot water and a mosquito net over the bed. Becky and I are looking forward to a good night’s rest. — David

P.S.: Four other interesting facts about the Democratic Republic of Congo:

(1) There is another country adjacent to this one called the "Republic of Congo." (I suppose they didn’t want to call it the "Undemocratic Republic of Congo," or the "Other Congo!")

(2) More people speak French here than in France.

(3) A quote from Wikipedia: "Lake Kivu is one of three lakes in Africa identified as having huge quantities of dissolved gas held at pressure in its depths. One of the others, Lake Nyos, experienced a limnic eruption or ‘lake overturn,’ a catastrophic release of suffocating carbon dioxide probably triggered by landslides, which killed nearly two thousand people in the area around the lake. Kivu is 2,000 times bigger and also contains dissolved methane as an additional hazard. Nearly two million people including the population of Goma live in the vicinity of Lake Kivu and could be in danger from a limnic eruption triggered by one of the nearby volcanoes and the earthquakes associated with them."

So if we hear the sound of a huge gas bubble bursting on Lake Kivu (which we aren’t too far away from at our hotel), should we hold our breath and run up the slopes of the Nyiragongo Volcano?

(4) The largest concentration of professing Christians following William Branham—an interesting American prophet from the 1950′s who taught some very strange doctrines—is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it is estimated that there are up to 2,000,000 followers. Following today in Branham’s footsteps are many American prosperity preachers who are pumping their spiritual sewage into the DRC via satellite television.

Dieudonne Kayobera’s potato business, funded through a HF micro-loan, is booming. Although he is very poor by Western standards, he is using some of his profits to build God’s kingdom and help poor believers.

We started our day spending time with legless Kana Claver, whom I met five months ago when he was still a beggar on the streets of Bujumbura. Kana was tortured during Burundi’s tribal wars, and consequently had to have both his legs amputated. Kana came to know the Lord through Bienvenu’s ministry. (You can read Kana’s full story in our January magazine by clicking here.)

Through a $500 grant via our Handicapped Christians Fund, Kana opened a shop in a marketplace where he sells a variety of beans, rice, and a number of other items. He has gone from making about 50 cents a day begging to an average of five dollars a day from his shop profits. Those profits have enabled him to put his young children in school for the first time in their lives, rent another room in their rented house so that they now have two rooms of living space, provide better food for his family, own a cell phone, and take his children to the doctor when they’ve been ill. We’ve also provided Kana with a hand-propelled tricycle. He formerly got around by scooting on his hands, or by using crutches and crude prosthetic legs.

We’re making a short video about Kana in order to promote the Handicapped Christians Fund, and Kana agreed to re-enact his former begging strategies in downtown Bujumbura while I filmed him. During one sequence, I hid in our parked car while he begged along a busy sidewalk, holding out his hand. Hundreds of people with good legs walked right by him during the fifteen minutes that I filmed, and not one person gave legless Kana anything. Later, as Bienvenu and I replayed and watched that video, Bienv said, "This makes me think of what it will be like on the day of judgment, when the Lord will show us all our deeds."

Kana Claver with his wife and four children in their dirt-floor living room. The sheet covering the doorway at the right leads to a room that used to be rented by another person. Now it is rented by Kana for his family.

We spent much of the rest of the day visiting Christian women who were formerly destitute, but whose lives are improving through small-business and home-building grants, as well as some micro-entrepreneurs who have benefitted from our Micro-Loan Fund. A few of their photos are below. Thanks for helping Heaven’s Family make a difference in all of their lives. — David

Beatrice Ndikumana, age 23, inside her "house." The squatters’ community where she and her family currently live is indescribable by Western standards, unfit for any human habitation. However, because of a $550 HF grant, she and her husband have purchased land and are in the process of building a better house in a better community. We’ve also helped Beatrice to be cured of a severe skin infection through our Critical Medical Needs Fund (see photo below), and helped her start a charcoal and flour-selling business. As a result of these acts of kindness, her husband, who was formerly a drunkard and physically abusive, has repented and begun serving Jesus whole-heartedly.

Beatrice’s former skin infection (photo taken last November) is now completely healed.

Beatrice with her three children, in front of their house. Beatrice’s husband was out working when we visited.

(Above) Miriam Nduwimana, age 22, used to live in the same squatters’ community as Beatrice, but her "house" was completely destroyed in a flood. Bienvenu found her living under a tarp along a road. Miriam was at that time pregnant, having been raped by three men when she was working out in field. Bienvenu led her to Jesus. She later lost her baby and also discovered that she was HIV positive.

With a $600 HF grant, Miriam recently bought land and built a three-room mud-brick house. Through another $300 HF grant, she has started a small business that sustains her and her two sisters.

Miriam in the main room of her three-room, $600 house. She sells flour and small fish during the rainy season, and mud bricks in the dry season since they cannot be made when it is raining.